|
Volume CXXXIII, Number 17 |
 |
Qualms with Passion
To the Editors:
A few quick points in response to Mike Nugent's review of Mel Gibson's Passion of Christ in the February 27 issue of the Orient:
1. Because the Gospels were originally written in Greek, Gibson's choice to represent the film's dialogue in Latin and Aramaic does not enhance its "authenticity," but in fact adds an additional layer of interpretation to it (through the process of translation).
2. Is it really the case that "no one could ever bear or come close to feeling what he [Christ] felt" on the cross? What about the 6,000 members of Spartacus's band of slave rebels, who the Romans crucified in 71 B.C.E.? Or of the thousands upon thousands who were slowly tortured, burned, butchered, and starved to death in Jesus's name during the European religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries?
3. If it is truly the case that "a film should be viewed only in comparison with what it is trying to accomplish," what are we to make of films like Triumph of the Will (Leni Riefenstahl's documentary celebration of the Nazi's Nuremberg rally of 1934) or The Birth of a Nation (D.W. Griffith's path-breaking 1915 account of the American Civil War and Reconstruction)? Both are rightly hailed as cinematic masterpieces, yet also rightly condemned as specimens of virulent racism. It seems just as important to evaluate the intent of works of art as it is to evaluate their success in achieving their goals.
Sincerely,
Patrick Rael
Department of History
For information on sending a letter to the editor, please click here.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |